


These Violent Delights

by Alberta_Sunrise



Category: The Mentalist
Genre: Abuse, Blood and Injury, F/M, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Rough Sex, Smut, Stabbing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-07
Updated: 2021-02-09
Packaged: 2021-03-13 06:21:05
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 13,960
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29273877
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Alberta_Sunrise/pseuds/Alberta_Sunrise
Summary: You notice that a mysterious, handsome man has moved into the apartment across from you. You can’t help but introduce yourself but how will your boyfriend react to your new-found friend?
Relationships: Marcus Pike/Reader, Marcus Pike/You
Comments: 10
Kudos: 11





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This starts off pretty dark but it gets better I promise!

You couldn't help but notice that someone new had moved in across from you when you saw the pile of boxes stacked up by the door, another holding the door open. Leaning forward you spotted the new resident bustling about inside. It was just a glimpse but you’d instantly been struck by your instant attraction to him. You’d decided at that moment that you would stop by later and introduce yourself, not knowing what that introduction was going to bring. Slipping inside your own apartment, you were greeted by a heated kiss by your boyfriend, his hard form pinning you against the wall as he devoured your mouth. It was evident what he wanted when his hand slipped past the waistband of your jeans, his fingers roughly circling the sensitive bundle of nerves between your thighs. 

‘Baby not now.’ You grumble as you push him away with your hands placed firmly on his chest. 

‘Come on now.’ He growled in your ear as he placed open-mouthed kisses down your neck ‘I’ve been waiting to fuck you all day. Don’t leave me hanging.’ 

You went to argue but his mouth was on yours again, his hands grabbing your arms and spinning you around so you were pinned against the wall. You know there was no use in resisting so you let him have his way, shivering as he pulled your jeans and panties down to your knees before lining himself up with your entrance. You couldn’t help the pained yelp that escaped your lips when he rammed himself into your heat, his hips slamming against your ass with as tears ran down your cheeks. 

‘I missed you today.’ He whispered in your ear as he continued his punishing pace. 

There was no pleasure for you. It hurt. It always hurt and he did little to ensure you orgasm. As he felt his release nearing he pushed your more roughly against the wall, once again causing you to yelp before he thrust half a dozen more times. Hips finally coming to a stop before he pulled himself out and yanked your face to look at him, placing a bruising kiss on your lips. 

‘I have to work tonight.’ He pants, resting his forehead against yours as he comes down from his high ‘Stay out of trouble.’ 

He yanked up his jeans and grabbed his keys, spinning you around again so that he could place one last kiss on your lips before he left. You couldn’t stop the sobs that erupted from you as you sunk to the floor and rocked yourself, letting your emotions overwhelm you. 

~

Marcus was pulled from his task by the sound of someone yelping behind the door opposite his and it wasn’t a sound of pleasure. He told himself that it wasn't his business, that he should just grab his last box but and go inside but instead he took a step closer to the door and listened closely. He could hear grunting and he instantly felt his face flush in embarrassment at the realisation of what was happening on the other side. He turned to leave but his attention was pulled again by a thud, following by a pained yelp and he felt himself wondering if what was happening was consensual. He grabbed his last box from the hall and put it inside, turning his head to look up at the door opposite as it opened. The man that walked out gave him a brief nod before making his way down the hall but Marcus couldn’t help but notice the woman weeping on the floor, her pants sat at her knees. The door then abruptly shut, cutting off his view of her and he suddenly felt a surge of anger bubble up to the surface. 

~

When the tears subsided, you busied yourself with any job that you could think of to take your mind off what had happened when you got home. You knew your relationship wasn’t healthy. You weren’t happy. The longer you had stayed with him though, the harder it got to leave and before you knew it five years had gone by and he’d asked you to marry him. He was an angel to your family and friends. Played the part of the doting boyfriend perfectly but whenever you had sex with him, you wanted to disappear. The two of you had been trying for a baby for a few months now, something that had been decided by him and you knew why. It was another plan to keep you there but little did he know you weren’t strong enough to leave. What he didn't know was that you'd gotten an IUD fitted, not wanting to bring a baby into this life. After cleaning yourself up and cleaning the kitchen within an inch of its life you decided to visit your new neighbour, knowing that it would be better to do that when Liam wasn’t home. You grabbed a few of the cookies you’d baked the day before and placed them in an empty Tupperware box, plastering on your best, most genuine smile as you knocked three times on his door. Your smile changed when the door opened. Brown eyes, rich and warm, framed by the most beautiful smile you’d ever seen greeted you. You known that he was attractive but now you could see him in all his glory, you realised he was beautiful. 

‘Hi.’ You said warmly, beaming at him as your eyes studied every feature ‘I live in number 21 just opposite you. I wanted to pop by and introduce myself.’ 

‘Marcus.’ He replied, his smile just as warm ‘Marcus Pike. It’s a pleasure to meet you.’ He finished as he held out his hand which you shook without question and gave him your name. 

‘I brought you some cookies.’ You said as you practically shoved the box into his hands ‘I made a huge batch yesterday and thought perhaps you'd appreciate a snack after all the moving.’ 

‘Thank you.’ He replied, taking the box and lifting the lid to take a sniff of its contents ‘They smell amazing, what are they?’ 

‘Chocolate and toffee!’ You exclaimed, your tone excitable as your smile grew wider ‘I am a toffee addict. Can’t get enough of the stuff.’ 

‘Like me and pancakes.’ He chuckled, his smile reaching his eyes and you swore that you fell in love. 

‘I love pancakes!!’ 

‘What’s your flavour of choice?’ He asked as he placed the box of cookies on the side table beside him.

‘Maple Syrup.’ You reply, scratching your neck awkwardly ‘The Canadian in me just can't resist.’ 

‘It is a classic.’ He replied, his grin not leaving his face ‘Would you like to come in?’ He asked, changing the subject ‘I just opened a bottle of wine. Would be nice to get to know my new neighbour.’ 

Normally you’d say no, knowing that Liam would have your neck if you were to speak to another man but you found it impossible to refuse this man. So you nodded and he motioned for you to enter, apologising for the mess as you made your way into the lounge. 

‘So have you just moved to DC or?...’

‘Yeah, I have.’ He replied as he poured you a glass of wine ‘I was transferred here from Texas.’

‘Oh really?’ You asked, turning to face him as he handed you the stemless wine glass ‘What do you do?’ 

‘I work for the FBI.’ He stated plainly, studying your reaction as he sipped his drink. 

‘Wow, so you’re an agent?’ 

‘Indeed.’ He replied, nodding as he motioned for you to sit on his ridiculously large couch. 

‘Agent Pike.' You paused, taking a sip as you think about the title ‘It suits you.’ 

‘I like to think so.” He replied with a smirk, chuckling when you laughed at his reply ‘What about you?’

‘Oh, I’m a nurse at Sibley Memorial Hospital.’ You replied, taking another sip of your wine as you shifted your position so you could look directly at him. 

‘Private hospital.’ He replied ‘Must be less hectic hours.’ 

‘It is. That’s why I chose it.’ You replied ‘Nice to have a set work schedule rather than get called in at all hours of the day.’ 

‘What’s that like?’ He joked, grinning through the rim of his wine glass. 

‘I suppose working for the FBI keeps you busy.’ 

‘Nah to be fair I work for the Art Crimes department so it’s not as busy for me.’ He replied, grinning at your reaction to his statement ‘Yes that really is a real department.’ 

‘I said nothing.’ You replied, throwing your free hand up in surrender. 

‘No, but I could see it in your face.’ 

The two of you spoke for several hours, the conversation flowing so easily and for the first time in a long time, you felt relaxed. You felt a pang of genuine sadness tug at you when you told Marcus you had to go. You would have loved to have stayed but you knew Liam would be home soon and your dreaded to think how he would react to you being alone with another man. So you said your farewells, exchanged numbers and left, smiling from ear to ear as you unlocked your apartment and slipped inside. 

‘Babe did you have a craving for cookies or something last night?’ Shouted Liam from the kitchen as you pulled on your sweater. 

‘No why?’ You shouted back, making your way into the kitchen. 

‘Well there were tones in here when I left last night and now like half are gone.’ 

‘Oh, I took a few over to our new neighbour yesterday.’ You replied, shrugging your shoulders as you poured yourself a mug of freshly brewed coffee. 

‘That guy I saw in the hall yesterday?’

‘Yeah, I guess.’ 

‘Why did you go see him alone?’ 

‘I just wanted to be neighbourly.’ You replied, pouring the milk into your coffee before grabbing a cookie from the box.

‘Sure.’ Spat Liam as he stalked up to him ‘Did you fuck him after I left?’ 

‘No!’ You squealed, dropping your mug when his hand wrapped itself around your throat and squeezed ‘Liam you're hurting me.’ 

‘Did you fuck him?’ He literally spat in your face then, his face red with rage. 

‘No.’ You sob, choking when he released his grip on your throat. 

‘I don’t want you to see or speak to him again. Do you understand?’ He growled, his eyes almost black. 

When you didn’t answer he slapped you hard around the face which caused you to lose your footing and smack your face against the edge of the counter. You could feel the blood running down into your eye as he grabbed you roughly by your hair and yanked you to your feet. 

‘Do you understand me?’ He yelled, his voice echoing in the vastness of your apartment. 

‘Yes.’ You sobbed ‘Yes I understand.’ 

‘Good!’ He spat as he let you go ‘Go clean yourself up. I need to go to the office for a few hours.’ He paused as he threw you a cloth which you pressed against your head ‘I’ll be back later this afternoon.’ 

You simply nodded in reply, watching as he grabbed his stuff and left, slamming the door behind him. You stood in your kitchen for a few moments in shock before you were pulled back to the real world by the sound of knocking at your door and you sprinted to open it, forgetting the state you were in. 

‘Came to return your-… What the hell happened?’ Exclaimed Marcus as he jumped to inspect the wound on your face. 

‘I uh-‘ You pause, trying to keep your tears at bay ‘I tripped in the kitchen and hit my head.’ You answer ‘Broke my favourite mug too.’ 

‘Come on let's get you cleaned up.’ He said as he started to push you inside. 

‘I can sort it, it's fine.’ 

‘No, come on let me help you.’ He pushed, giving your arm a squeeze. 

‘I said I can sort it.’ 

Your response took him by surprise, his suspicions then getting the better of him as he studied you more closely, his eyes noticing the redness around your throat.

‘You do that when you fell?’ He asked, pointing at the obvious strangulation marks around your neck. 

‘It’s nothing.’ You replied, pulling your jumper up in an attempt to hide it. 

‘Did he do this to you?’ He asked, his question drawing a shocked reaction from you. 

‘What?’ 

‘Did your fiancé do this to you?’ He repeated, his hand cupping your cheek as he lifted your face so you could look at him. 

‘Please leave.’ You sobbed, your whole body shaking ‘I uh- I’m sorry but I need you to go.’ 

He just nodded in reply but the whole situation didn’t sit well with him. He knew that this was because of your partner but he couldn’t do anything unless you’d let him. So he simply turned to leave, but not before turning to look back at you a moment. 

‘If you need help. Ever. Just text me and I will be there.’ 

You nodded, giving him a small smile as you watch him leave. Then you finally allowed yourself to cry. You sobs racked your small frame as you cleaned up your face and dressed it. 

~

Two months went by and you didn’t see or speak to Marcus. Liam was still on edge about him but he didn’t voice it anymore which gave you some relief. He continued to fuck you and give you no pleasure and you brought on your own orgasms when he left for work, thinking of those soft brown eyes as your walls contracted around nothing. You came back from work one day to find a note from Liam saying that he was going for drinks with his friends and that he would be back by midnight, the knowledge you were going to be alone giving you some relief. You sat down and put on one of your favourite movies, nibbling on the fresh batch of cookies that you made and drinking Coco. You had the surround sound set up and you allowed yourself to be fully immersed, so much so you almost missed the sound of your phone going off. It was a text from Marcus, his name popping up on your screen making you smile. 

**_ Are you watching Return of the Jedi?  _ **

You grinned at his message, trapping your lip between your teeth as you wrote your reply. 

_ Damn, right I am.  _

**_ Nice. _ **

You chuckled at his response and then you found yourself thinking about him. His dark eyes. His lips. His smile. You let your hand travel down past the waistband of your shorts but you imagined it was his, circling your clit as he kissed your neck. Your freehand started to squeeze your breast as you felt yourself nearing your high, breathing increasing as your sped up your movements. 

‘What the hell are you doing?’ Came a voice, pulling you out of your moment. 

Your phone went off and he grabbed it, seeing the name that popped up on the screen and throwing it across the room. 

‘Were you finger-fucking yourself over him?’ He spat, stalking up to you and grabbing you by the throat. 

‘No.’ You screamed, clawing desperately at his hand. 

‘Don’t lie to me.’ He growled, his voice reeking of alcohol. 

‘Liam you're drunk. Let’s talk about this when you're sober.’ 

‘No, we’re going to sort this now.’ He shouted, his free hand unbuckling his belt ‘I am going to show you who you belong to.’ 

~

Marcus was woken by the sound of his phone buzzing on his side table. Rubbing his tired eyes he picked up his phone and squinted as he tried to read the name through the haze of sleep. His heart skipped a beat when he saw your name but upon opening it his heart sunk. 

**_ Help me please. Meet me in the courtyard. _ **

He wasted no time getting out of bed and pulling on some jeans and a sweater. Grabbing his keys from the bowl he quietly made his way to the communal courtyard. He looked around for you and his heart sank when he found you curled up in a corner, your face littered in cuts. He was at your side in a heartbeat, pulling you into his arms as you sobbed openly. 

‘What happened?’ He asked as he stroked your hair. 

‘He saw a text from you and went crazy’ you replied, deciding it best to leave the part where you were masturbating out. 

‘He hit you?’ You nodded, sobbing as you looked into his dark eyes. 

‘And raped me.’ 

Marcus’ stomach dropped at that, the instinct to grab his gun and shoot this guy between the eyes was a hard one to resist. 

‘He wanted to show me who I belong to.’ You finished, throwing your head in your hands as you cried. 

‘Where is he now?’ 

‘Passed out in our apartment.’ You replied, fighting desperately to keep your voice steady ‘I can’t go back there. Please, Marcus. Please help me.’ 

‘This is what we’re going to do.’ He started, pulling out his keys ‘We’re going to head back to my apartment and get you cleaned up. Then we’re going to call the police.’ 

‘No, I don’t want to call the police.’

‘But-‘

‘No!’ You exclaimed, your expression dead certain ‘I don’t want to call the police.’ 

‘Okay.’ He replied, nodding ‘Well let's start by getting you cleaned up and then we can go from there.’ 

Marcus had taken such care of you that night. He’d cleaned all your cuts and allowed let you shower so that you could clean the reminder of Liam off of you. He lent you some tracksuit bottoms and a t-shirt, the clean clothes instantly making you feel better. He then drove you to your friend’s house, a girl that you’d managed to keep Liam away from so you knew he wouldn’t think to look for you there. He had been banging on Marcus’ door the next morning, barging in to look for you before Marcus had drawn his weapon and told him to leave. You’d changed your number after texting Liam to tell him it was over, knowing that he would not accept it. Ever. 

‘How are you doing?’ Asked Marcus as he sipped his coffee, his eyes studying you closely.

‘I’m good.’ You replied, giving him a genuine smile ‘He turned up at my work the other day but security dragged him out.’ 

‘That’s good.’ 

‘Has he given you any more trouble?’ You asked, taking a sip of your own coffee. 

‘If I’m honest it doesn’t look like he’s been home for the past two weeks.’ He replied, shifting in his chair ‘He was pretty loud coming in and out first few weeks but since then I haven’t heard a peep.’ 

You nodded in reply, a calm silence sweeping over you as you watched him from over the rim of your mug. 

‘Do you think… No, don’t worry.’ You choke as you put down your oversized mug. 

‘What?’ 

‘No, it’s fine really.’ You replied, giving him another smile ‘Thank you, Marcus. For everything.’ 

‘Come on ask me what you were going to ask me.’ He pushed, sitting forward a little in his seat. 

‘I was wondering if maybe you’d like to go for a drink with me?’ You asked nervously, eyes staring at your mug as you waited for him to reply.

‘I’d love you.’ 

‘Really?’ You beam at him as tears started to form. 

‘Really.’ He replied, taking your hand and lacing his fingers with yours ‘I would have asked you sooner but I wasn’t sure how you felt.’ 

‘Shall we say Friday? I have the whole weekend off!’ You asked excitedly, your tone giddy. 

‘Sounds perfect.’ 

~ 

‘You look hot!’ Squealed your friend as you looked your outfit over in the mirror.

‘You sure it’s not too much?’ You asked nervously, hands smoothing over the silky material. 

‘You look stunning.’ She replied, hugging you from behind ‘You’re gonna knock him dead.’ 

You both jumped at the sound of the intercom buzzing, your friend sprinting off to let him in as you finished touching up your makeup. Grabbing your purse you walked into the lounge to find Marcus stood waiting for you, his mouth falling open as he took you in. 

‘You look-‘ His hands said the rest. 

‘Thanks.’ You giggled as you looked him over. 

He was wearing a rust coloured button-up with Dark grey jeans and a leather jacket. He looked hot and you had to resist the urge to kiss him right then and there. 

‘You scrub up well yourself.’ You said as you gave him a mischievous smile. 

‘Where are we going?’ He asked as you said your goodbyes to your friend and made your way outside.

‘Just a cute bar around the corner.’ You replied, linking your arm with his when he offered it to you ‘Been there a few times with the girls and it’s great!’ 

‘Sounds perfect.’ He replied, following your lead as you walked him down the street and around the corner ‘Here.’ You chuckle as you motioned to the entrance and pushed the door open, stepping inside. 

‘You weren’t joking about it being around the corner.’ He laughed. 

You managed to grab a booth and the waiter was quick to take your drink order, so when you found yourself three drinks in, you weren’t surprised things got a little heated between you. The conversation flowed easily, both of you realising that you had a lot in common. You both loved old movies. You both loved Star Wars and you both adored art. He rested his hand on your thigh as he drew closer to you and you licked your lips in anticipation, eyes studying him. 

‘Can I kiss you?’ He asked, barely a whisper but you heard it still. 

‘Yes.’ You replied breathlessly, eyes flitting between his own and his soft lips.

Then his lips were on yours. It was soft but passionate, his hand wrapping around the back of your neck as he deepened it, tongue tracing the seam of your lips as he sought entry. You gave it to him and your tongues danced, your moan in his mouth spurring him on before he broke away breathless. He rested his forehead against yours as his dark orbs locked with your green ones. 

‘Wanted to do that for a while.’ He said, smiling at you as you chewed your bottom lip. 

‘You want to get out of here?’ You asked with a seductive grin. 

‘I don’t want to rush anything’ He replied, his thumb stroking your jaw. 

‘I want you, Marcus.’ You replied, kissing him again ‘Please.’ 

He kissed you back before motioning for the waiter to get the check. Throwing down a bunch of bills he pulled you from the booth, smiling at your giggles as you made your way outside. He stopped outside and circled your waist, spinning you around so he could pull you into a sensual kiss that went straight to your core. 

‘Save it for the bedroom handsome.’ You squeak, grinning up at him as he led you in the direction of your apartment building. 

You didn’t notice the person watching you from the shadows. Following close behind as you walked hand in hand like two lovesick teenagers. When you heard someone shout your name you had little time to react before the shadow was upon you, the glint of a knife catching the streetlight and Marcus just managed to push you clear before the instrumenting pierced his flesh. You screamed on the top of your lungs as he dropped to his knees, people jumping out from nearby buildings to see what the commotion was about. That's when you realised who it was that had attacked you. 

‘Liam.’ You breathed as you watched him drop the knife and sprint off into the darkness. 

You were at Marcus’ side in a heartbeat. The sound of him choking on his own blood making your blood go cold as you desperately tried to keep the precious liquid inside him. 

‘Stay with me.’ You begged as he looked up at you with fear-filled eyes, tears leaking from the corners ‘SOMEONE CALL AN AMBULANCE.’ You screamed as you push down hard on the wound. 

His pained cries broke your heart and you fought so hard to keep yourself together, you had to be the nurse now. Not the girlfriend. 

‘Marcus I’m so sorry.’ You choked, feeling the adrenaline starting to wear off ‘God I’m so sorry I dragged you into my mess.’ 

‘I’m not.’ He replied before his eyes rolled back and he went limp. 

‘No Marcus open your eyes.’ You pleaded, shaking him slightly ‘Stay with me.’ You sobbed, not noticing the ambulance come screaming up behind you. 


	2. Chapter 2

The one thing you could remember vividly about the night that Marcus was stabbed was the blood. There was so much blood. When he was wheeled into the back of the ambulance, you’d thrown up from the sight of the puddle of it on the pavement, the streetlight above reflected on the scarlet surface. The had paramedic steered you into the back of the ambulance, sitting you down across from Marcus who was being worked on by the other EMT. They had packed the wound to slow the bleeding and now they were rhythmically pumping air into his lungs, eyes flitting between him and the monitor he had been hooked up to. They then looked up at you and noticed that you were rocking yourself in your seat, eyes fixed on the agent’s face as your tears flowed freely down your cheeks. 

‘What happened?’ They asked softly, shifting slightly so they could look at you and Marcus. 

‘He uh- My ex…’ You paused for a second as you tried to calm yourself but the medic could see you were failing. 

‘Your ex stabbed him?’ 

You simply nodded, eyes open wide as you look at them. 

‘The police will need to take your statement.’ They stated, returning their attention to Marcus when the monitor started throwing out stats that neither of you liked. 

‘Shit.’ They spat as the machine started to blare out different alarms. 

‘No, no Marcus hold on we're almost there.’ You pleaded, grabbing his hand as the medic sprung into action. 

‘He’s crashing.’ They stated as they locked their hands together and started compressions. 

The ambulance came to an abrupt stop and the doors swung open, a flurry of movement assaulted your vision as he was pulled from the ambulance and rushed inside. You followed close behind, eyes fixed on Marcus as they pushed him through the already busy halls. 

‘We need to take him straight to theatre.’ Shouted a doctor as invisible hands grabbed hold of you and stopped you in your tracks, 

‘I need to stay with him.’ You sobbed, knowing full well you couldn’t. 

‘They will do all they can for him but you need to come with me.’ The nurse said sweetly, his voice soft. 

You nodded limply and allowed him to lead you to a waiting room. You thanked him when he brought you a blanket and a coffee when he’d seen you shivering. He then kneeled in front of you and cleaned your hands as you stared numbly off into the distance. 

‘He’s going to be okay.’ He said, doing his best to comfort you. 

‘This was our first date.’ You stated, your eyes remaining fixed in place ‘Was our first date and it ended with my psycho ex stabbing him.’ 

The nurse was shocked by your statement, his heart breaking for you as he finished cleaning your hands, giving one a gentle squeeze. He looked over his shoulder and noticed the two officers stood waiting to speak to you and he took it upon himself to speak to them first, knowing how delicate you were right now. 

‘She’s in shock.’ He said as he stopped just in front of them ‘She told me that it was her ex that stabbed him.’ 

‘We will need to take a statement from her.’ Stated the female officer, giving him a weak smile. 

He simply nodded and lead them to where you were still sat, staring at nothing as you waited for news of Marcus. The male nurse called your name softly, giving you a sympathetic smile as he informed you that the police were there to take her statement and simply nodded, watching the officers as they grabbed two chairs and sat them down across from her. 

‘Hi.’ The female officer started ‘I’m officer Smith, this is my partner Officer Beck. I understand that this is going to be difficult for you but we need to know what happened.’ Started the female officer, leaning forward in her chair to give your hand a squeeze ‘Nurse Stoke said you knew your attacker is that correct?’ 

‘Yes.’ You replied, nodding your head as more tears slipped from your red-rimmed eyes. 

‘And who was it?’ Asked Beck, careful to keep his tone soft. 

‘It was my ex-boyfriend Liam Robinson.’ You replied, feeling your fear replaced with something else entirely. 

‘And why would Mr Robinson want to hurt you or Agent Pike?’ Asked Officer Smith as she scribbled in her note pad. 

You paused for a moment, thinking about how much you wanted to tell them. You decided then to tell them everything, not caring what that meant for you or him. The bastard put Marcus in the hospital so you were going to do whatever you could to get him done for it. 

‘He was abusive.’ You started, hands shaking as you think about your relationship with him ‘We broke up because he hit and raped me after finding me masturbating in your lounge. He’d seen that I had a text from Marcus and assumed that I was cheating on him. I wasn’t but he wouldn’t listen. So he hit me, raped me and strangled me within an inch of me passing out. When he passed out I text Marcus and asked for his help. He cleaned me up and took me to my friend Lydia’s house where I have been living for the past month.’ 

‘Why didn’t you report this before?’ Pushed Officer Beck, his expression schooled but you could see the disgust in his eyes. 

‘I just wanted him out of my life. Marcus had told me to report him but I chose not to.’ You replied, eyes flitting between the two officers ‘I broke up with him and changed my number, determined to start fresh. I asked Marcus out and tonight was our first date. I don’t know how he knew where we would be but when we left, he shouted my name and before I had a chance to react I was being shoved out of the way and he stabbed Marcus.’ 

‘We found the knife at the scene.’ Stated Officer Smith, giving you another sympathetic smile ‘We will catch him.’ 

You nodded, thanking them both before they handed you a card and told you to call them if you needed anything. They then left, leaving you alone to wait on news of Marcus. You waited for hours, Stoke coming to check on you and bringing you coffee and snacks. You thanked him for his kindness, knowing that it was this that had been keeping you together while you sat there. Finally, after what felt like a lifetime a doctor approached you, taking a seat beside you as you turned your head to look at him. 

‘He pulled through the surgery.’ He stated, allowing you a moment to breathe a sigh of relief before he continued ‘He was lucky, 2 cm’s to the left and he wouldn’t have made it to the hospital.’ He continued, placing his hand on top of yours ‘He’s going to recover but he will be out of action for a while. Does he have someone that can take care of him when he gets out of here?’ 

‘I will.’ You replied ‘If he’ll let me.’ 

The doctor informed you that he would get someone to fetch you when Marcus was moved from recovery. Giving your hand a quick squeeze before leaving you alone again with your thoughts. It was another hour before Stoke came and got you, leading you to a small room where Marcus lay sleeping, wires hanging around him like vines in a jungle. 

‘He’s been coming around for the past 20 minutes or so but he’s still groggy.’ He said as you placed a chair beside the bed for you ‘Talk to him, let him know you're here. I’m sure he’ll appreciate that.’ 

‘I hope so.’ You replied as you stepped gingerly towards the chair. 

‘This isn’t your fault and if he’s a good man he won’t blame you for this.’ Stated Stoke, placing a confronting hand on your arm. 

You nodded and took your seat beside Marcus’ bed, taking his hand and placing a gentle kiss on it before looking up and him. He had a nasal cannula wrapped around his nose and his eyes were dancing vigorously beneath their lids. 

‘Marcus it’s me.’ You said softly, confirming your name ‘Can you hear me?’ 

His hand twitched in yours and you let out a pained sob as your eyes dropped to your hand before returning to his face. You watched as his head lolled towards you but his eyes didn’t open, the claws of unconsciousness still keeping a firm hold on him. 

‘Marcus I am so sorry this happened.’ You started, wiping away your tears with your free hand ‘I told the police everything.’ You continued, bringing his hand to your cheek as you leaned your elbows on the edge of his bed ‘I should have told them when you'd said it. I never thought Liam capable of this. So I understand if you don't want to see me anymore.’ 

‘Why would I not want to see you.’ Came a small, weak voice. 

You looked up to see slivers of dark brown cracking open, a small smile tugging at his lips as he gave your hand a weak squeeze. 

‘You got stabbed because of me.’ You stated, sitting up so you could look at him better.

‘I got stabbed protecting you.’ He replied, his voice getting a little stronger as the haze started to clear ‘There’s a difference.’ 

‘Marcus I-‘

‘He went for you.’ He interrupted, his dark eyes fixed on you ‘He came to attack you. I couldn’t let that happen. Not to you.’ 

You sobbed, pulling his hand to your lips again as you kissed each one of his fingers. You didn’t know how to thank this man for saving you, so you were going to show him how thankful you were every day for the rest of your life. If he’d let you. 

‘The doctor said that you’ll be out in a week or so.’ You stated, smiling up at him ‘Said that you’re going to need someone to take care of you.’ 

‘I’m sure I can get some of the guys at work to check in on me.’ He replied, wincing a little at the pain that started to radiate from his wound. 

‘Oh right.’ You replied, your smile dropping as you put his hand down at his side again ‘Of course.’ 

‘What’s wrong?’ He asked, brow knitted together in concern. 

‘Well, I just thought that maybe… I could take care of you.’ You replied, chewing your thumbnail as you looked up at him ‘I mean I’m a nurse so I know how to properly change your dressings and what to look out for. It would just be me taking care of you till you’re better it's no-‘

‘I would love it if you took care of me.’ He chuckled cupping your cheek as your panic melted away and was replaced with a soft smile. 

‘Great.’ You replied, leaning into his touch as the two of you gazed at each other. 

~ 

‘You sure you wouldn’t rather be in bed?’ You asked as you helped Marcus down onto the couch, wincing in sympathy at the pained groan he made from the movement. 

‘I will go stir crazy if I have to spend another moment in bed.’ He joked, thanking you as you helped him lay down and before lifting his feet up onto the couch ‘Besides the TV is here.’ 

‘True.’ You replied as you checked his dressings to ensure nothing had torn ‘Looks good. Do you want anything? Coffee, water?’ 

‘Coffee please.’ He groaned, giving your hand a thankful squeeze before watching you walk to his kitchen ‘When do you go back to work?’ He asked, watching you from where he lay. 

‘Um, next week.’ You replied as you turned on the coffee maker ‘They felt it best I take another week before coming back.’

‘That was good of them.’ He replied. 

‘Yeah.’ You continued as you pulled out some mugs and you waited for the coffee to pour into the jug ‘Means I can focus my attention on getting you better.’ You grinned as you both shared a look. 

‘Lucky me.’ He replied, sticking his tongue out in jest. 

You returned to his side a few minutes later with two steaming mugs of coffee, placing them both on the coffee table before pushing the piece of furniture closer so Marcus could reach. 

‘So what do you feel like doing?’ You asked as you blew on the contents of your mug. 

‘Making out?’ He replied, giving you a cheeky wink. 

‘I don’t think that’s a very good idea right now do you?’ You replied as you smirked at him, laughing when he jutted out his bottom lip ‘Okay you can have one kiss.’ You stated, placing your mug down on the coffee table before shuffling closer to him on the couch ‘But only because you kinda saved my life so you deserve one.’ 

‘Agreed.’ He replied as he grinned at you, 

Holding into the back of the couch for support, you lowered your face towards his, bumping his nose with yours as your lips grazed over his. You smiled as he gasped before you let your lips press against his. His were soft, just as you had remembered and you felt your stomach doing butterflies as you deepened it a little. You shivered when you felt his hand wrap around the back of your neck, his tongue tracing your bottom lip as he sought entry which you gave. You moaned as your tongues danced, loving the taste of him and wanting more. When he started to get more urgent you pulled away. Knowing if you didn’t you wouldn’t be able to stop yourself. 

‘No fair.’ He sulked as he looked up at you with his big brown eyes ‘I was enjoying that.’ 

‘I can tell.’ You smirked upon seeing his growing erection beneath his sweats. 

‘What can I say.’ He shrugged as he trapped his lip between his teeth ‘You have that effect on me.’ He finished as he gave you a devilish grin. 

‘Rest.’ You ordered, sitting back and grabbing your coffee ‘If you’re good, I might give you a treat later.’ 

~ 

After a few days, Marcus was able to move around relatively well by himself, still relying on you to help him with his dressings and meds. You both fell into living together with ease but there was still a part of you that felt strange knowing that everything you owned was in the apartment across from this one. So when you received the call to say that Liam had been apprehended you felt like you could breathe a sigh of relief. You’d gone and grabbed a few changes of clothes, glad to be able to wear something other than the 3 outfits you’d been living in for the past month and a half. 

It was the day before you were due to go back to work and you were apprehensive. You knew that Marcus was healing well but there was a part of you that didn't want to return to normal life. As you lay beside him, you shifted your head so that you could look at him better, smiling as he returned your gaze. You were grateful for how deep his couch was as you pushed yourself up and shuffled along a bit so you were able to capture his lips in a bruising kiss. It quickly became heated and you soon found yourself strangling him as your hips ground against his growing erection, kissing and nibbling his neck as you felt your arousal pool in your core. Tearing your shirt off, you grinned when his eyes went wide, fingers running over the chin lace that covered your breasts. 

‘Are you sure?’ He asked, his thumbs running over your pebbled nipples and sending a jolt of pleasure straight between your legs. 

‘God yes.’ You replied as you kissed him again, your hips getting more frantic as you desperately tried to get more friction. 

You grabbed the waistband of his sweats and pulled them down, licking your lips in anticipation as his member sprung free. Taking him in your hand you gave him a few pumps of your wrist before sliding your underwear to the side so you could lower yourself onto him. The stretched was delicious and you moaned loudly as the sting changed to something you’d not felt in a long time. Pure, unadulterated pleasure. You started slow, rocking your hips as you desperately tried to feel every inch of him. He grabbed your hips, guiding you to move faster and you did, screaming his name as your orgasm hit you with a force. He sat up to meet you, ignoring the small pang of pain this brung him and kissed you hungrily as you bounced on his lap like your life depended on it. The new position had his length hitting that spot inside and you soon feel yourself edging closer to another release. 

‘One more for me beautiful?’ He asked, growling in your ear as you nodded. 

His fingers travelled between you and started to rub at the sensitive bundle of nerves. You choke back a pleasure moan as you felt him bringing you closer and closer. Your orgasm was the most intense you'd ever had and you felt something wet beneath you as you rode yourself through it. His release was close behind yours and he groaned as he climaxed, falling back onto the couch as he came down from his high. 

‘Um, I think you made me squirt.’ You stated, seeing the mess on him as you got off. 

‘Shit really?’ He asked, his tone excited as he looked down at your mess ‘Fuck that’s hot.’ 

‘I’ve never done that before.’ You admitted as you sprinted to the kitchen to fetch a cloth. 

‘Well, that makes me feel extra special.’ He stated as he grinned at you, watching as you cleaned him. 

You laughed at him, giving him a kiss before popping to the bathroom quickly to clean yourself up and toss the cloth into the washing basket. As you fixed yourself up you couldn’t help the grin that painted your features. That was the best sex you’d ever had. 

~

You continued to stay with Marcus, not wanting to broach the subject of you moving back into your apartment across the hall. A month passed and you continued to fetch things from there but you never stayed. Before you knew it 2 months had passed. The sex continued to be mind-blowing but it had taken you a while to get used to him focusing on your pleasure, something you hadn’t been used to. You’d learned that he was divorced but had also been engaged before moving here, the woman had left him for another man and left him pretty broken. You’d both been completely open with each other about your pasts and you felt yourself falling for him harder and harder every day. Everything was perfect. Until it wasn’t. 

  
You shook your head in disbelief when you looked at the plus that stared back at you. How was this even possible? You placed the stick of plastic down beside the other two that displayed the same blue cross and you felt your stomach contents rise up to meet you, barely making it to the toilet before you threw up its contents. You'd called in sick that day after you’d spend the past 3 days feeling ill. Marcus had been worried about you but you’d assured him that it was just a stomach bug and that you’d be okay in a few days. He’d been so attentive, tucking you in on the couch and bringing you whatever you wanted, cuddling as you watched all the Star Wars movies in an attempt to cheer you up. When you heard the front door shut and Marcus announce his arrival you shoved the sticks in your pocket, panicking as you heard him knock on the door of the bathroom.

‘Hey honey you okay?’

‘Yeah.’ You replied, cursing your shaky reply ‘I’ll be out in a sec.’ 

You flushed the toilet and rinsed your mouth out with some mouthwash then walked out to greet him. He pulled you into a soft kiss before looking at you with concern. 

‘You look pale. You still feeling poorly?’ He asked as he resting the back of his hand on your forehead. 

‘I um… I need to tell you something.’ You stated as pulled him towards the couch, sitting down and watching as he sat down opposite. 

‘Everything okay?’ He asked, his brows furrowed in concern. 

‘Marcus I need to tell you something and I don’t want you to freak.’ You replied, unable to stop the tears ‘Please don’t freak.’ 

‘Baby you’re scaring me.’ He said, his expression changing as he studied yours ‘What’s going on?’ 

You opened your mouth to speak but found you couldn’t find the words. So instead you took his hand and placed on your lap facing up before reaching into your pocket and placing the item you grabbed into his palm. He pulled his hand back and looked down at what you’d put in his hand, eyes growing wide when he saw the positive pregnancy test resting in his palm. He stared at it a while before letting his eyes travel up to meet yours. 

‘Are you sure?’ 

‘Pretty positive.’ You replied as you pulled out the other two positive tests from your pocket. 

Your heart was pounding in your chest as you tried to read him, panic rising quickly as you awaited his inevitable freak out… But it never came. Instead, he pulled you into a bruising kiss, letting out a sigh against your lips as he rested his forehead against yours and locked eyes with you. 

‘This is the best new’s I’ve ever gotten.’ He was crying but smiling. 

‘You’re not upset?’ You pulled back in surprise, this was not the reaction you’d been expecting. 

‘Upset? Why would I be upset?’ 

‘Because we’ve been together like 2 months and now I’m pregnant!’ 

‘Are you not happy?’ 

‘I’m not sure what I feel.’ You admitted, hands shaking a little as you placed the tests down on the table ‘I mean I want kids, desperately, and I have been starting to think that you're the guy I want them with but I wasn’t expecting it to happen so soon! I have IUD fitted! This shouldn’t happen.’ 

‘Is there a risk to the baby?’ He asked, his tone suddenly panicked. 

‘There’s a small risk that it could be an ectopic pregnancy.’ She replied, shocked that that was his first thought. 

‘Well, we need to get you an appointment to find out!.’ He stated, his tone a little shaky as he looked around for his phone. 

‘Marcus just calm down a second.’ You spat as you grabbed his hand ‘Do you think we’re ready for this?’ You asked, studying his features carefully. 

‘I don’t know if anyone's ever ready.’ He replied, cupping your cheek ‘All I know is that I want this baby. Our baby. I want to do this with you.’ 

You sobbed at his reply, pulling him into another kiss as your heart expanded in your chest. All of a sudden you weren’t scared anymore. 

‘So we’re going to have a baby?’ He asked a look of childlike delight on his face. 

‘Yeah... We’re going to have a baby.’ You replied, beaming back at him. 


	3. Chapter 3

You lay there as you nervously drummed your fingers on your arm whilst you waited for the doctor to enter, Marcus stood beside you looking equally as nervous. You chuckle to yourself which draws his attention and he gave you a bemused look. 

‘What’s so funny?’ He asked as you smirked at him. 

‘Liam decided he wanted us to try for kids.’ You started, noting the change in his expression when you brought up your ex ‘I got the IUD fitted so that I couldn’t. End up meeting the right guy and it fails.’ You chuckle ‘Perhaps it's the universes trying to tell me something.’ 

He let out a small chuckle before looking at the door as the doctor entered, smiling as she greeted them both and readied herself for the procedure. 

‘So I understand that you have gotten pregnant despite having an IUD fitted.’ She stated as she pulled the ultrasound scanner over to your side.

‘That’s right yes.’ You replied, your voice shaking a little with nerves. 

‘Well it’s uncommon but it happens.’ She continued as she squirted some gel on your bare belly ‘When was your last period?’ She asked as she turned to grab the scanner. 

‘Oh, I don’t really get them.’ You replied, shrugging your shoulders ‘Only reason I suspected I was pregnant was the morning sickness.’ 

The doctor nodded in reply, smiling at you sweetly as she placed the device on your stomach and silence fell over the room. You couldn’t look at her, too scared of what she might find so instead you looked at Marcus, feeling his warm smile calm you. Your heart leapt in your chest when you heard it. 

‘Is that?’ Marcus’ eyes grew wide as he looked to the doctor, your gaze following his. 

‘That’s your baby’s heartbeat.’ She replied with a grin ‘Everything looks great. You look to be around 6 weeks along. I’ll print some of these for you.’ 

‘Thank you.’ Marcus replied, looking at you and letting out a happy sob before he leaned down and kissed you. 

‘We’ll get you booked in to get the IUD removed and you can pre-book your next scan whilst you’re at it.’ She replied as she handed you the print outs. 

‘Our little peanut.’ He said as he pressed a kiss to your temple. 

‘6 weeks.’ You said suddenly, shifting your head to look at him ‘If I’m 6 weeks along that means…’ 

You didn’t need to finish your sentence and he gave you a smirk as he caught your drift. 

‘Now I definitely feel special.’ He joked as he kissed you again, laughing along with you. 

~ 

‘I can’t believe you two have been dating for like 5 months and we’re only just meeting you now!’ Squealed Suzie as she playfully punched Marcus in the arm. 

He had convinced you to come out for some drinks with his colleagues, explaining that they were all desperate to meet you and after a little arm twisting you agreed, on the basis that it wasn’t a late evening. The pregnancy has started to take its toll on you. You were constantly tired and still struggled with sickness but today had decided to look kindly on you. Almost straight away your clothes had all been too small, your body changing so rapidly that you'd mourned not being able to wear your favourite jeans anymore. Now you lived in leggings and oversized everything. This evening you had chosen to wear some wool-lined leggings and a loose blouse, you’d squealed with excitement at the idea of being able to wear your favourite black boots again. 

‘So tell us.’ Started Suzie as she took a sip of her cocktail ‘When are you two going to tie the knot?’ 

Her question took you both by surprise and you shared a look before Marcus opened his mouth to answer. 

‘We’ve only been together a few months.’ He started, unsure of how to answer. 

‘It’ll happen when it happens.’ You finish, smiling at him when he gave you an appreciative look. 

‘I need to ask you both something and I want you to be honest with me.’ Piped up Joe as his eyes flitted between the two of you, his gaze making you both wriggle in your seats ‘When were you going to tell us about the baby?’ 

Your mouth fell open and Marcus choked on his drink as his colleagues looked at him expectantly, waiting for him to answer. 

‘I- Uh…- 

‘I found the ultrasound in your office.’ Said Joe ‘I saw that it had your name at the top.' He continued as you motioned to you 'So I knew it had to be yours.’ 

‘Why were you going through my desk?’ 

‘I wasn’t’ He replied, shaking his head ‘I was dropping off the case file you'd asked for on Monday and noticed in something poking out from under your desk. I picked it up and it turned out to be an ultrasound scan.’ 

‘Your pregnant??’ Squeaked Suzie, her voice giving you an almost instant headache. 

‘Yeah.’ You replied, seeing no point in denying it now. 

‘How far along?’ Asked Joe, giving you both a toothy grin. 

‘Around 12 weeks.’ Replied Marcus, giving your hand a squeeze underneath the table. 

‘Oh my god!’ Squealed Suzzie as she waved down the waiter ‘We need to celebrate.’ 

‘No really Suzzie its fine.’ You object, waving your hand at her in protest. 

‘This man has been so unlucky in love.’ She started, her tone changing ’No one deserves this more than he does. Please.’ 

She was right. You knew she was and so you nodded, watching as she ordered a bottle of champagne and a mocktail for you. The server returned a few minutes later with what she’d ordered and poured the bubbly into 3 flutes before distributing them amongst everyone. 

‘To you two.’ She started as she raised her glass, smiling when Marcus put his arm around you and pulled you close ‘May you have a lifetime of happiness together!’ 

You all cheered to her toast, calling it a night a short while after and you’d admitted to Marcus as soon as you'd left that you were ready to sleep for a week. When you got back to his apartment you pulled out your sleep shorts and a loose tank top, peeling off your evenings clothes and tossing them on the chair beside the dresser. You pulled on the shorts but stopped before you putting on the top, a gasp halting your movements. You turned to see Marcus standing in the doorway, his eyes wide as he stared at you. 

‘What|?’ You asked, smirking at his expression. 

‘You’re showing.’ He stated, pointing at the small, but very visible bump.   
  
Turning to look in the mirror you see it, your once flat stomach now rounded and you smiled as you placed a hand over your growing womb. You don't know how you hadn’t noticed before but you were glad you could see it now, it made it all the more real. You hummed with delight when Marcus came up behind you, placings his large hands over your stomach as he looked at you in the mirror. 

‘You look so beautiful.’ He said, placing a soft kiss on your cheek. 

‘Just you wait.’ You started, chewing your bottom lip as you grinned at him ‘I’ll be a whale before long.’ 

‘Never.’ 

His lips on your neck made you shiver with pleasure, closing your eyes as his one of his hands slipped past the waistband of your shorts. Your breath hitched in your throat when his fingers started to tease your clit, grinning against your skin as you moaned. 

‘I can’t wait to see you grow rounder with our baby.’ He mumbled against your neck before his movements became more focused. 

‘Oh is that a new kink we’ve discovered.’ You teased, turning your head so you could kiss him. 

‘Perhaps.’ He replied as he kissed you hungrily. 

You didn’t even notice him pull your sleep shorts down, too focused on the feel of him against you and you dropped to the bed when the back of your knees came into contact with the mattress. His hands roamed the expanse of your body as he settled himself between your legs, tongues dancing as he lined himself up and pushed himself into your heat, the two of you moaning in unison. Your favourite part of being pregnant was how much more sensitive you were. Everything was more intense and you couldn’t get enough of it, of him. You moaned in his mouth as his pace quickened, his length hitting that spot that soon had you climaxing and he quietened your pleasured screams with his mouth. You couldn’t help but dig your nails into the strong muscles in his back as he drew you closer to another release, your breathing becoming erratic as you rocked your hips to meet his. 

‘Got one more for me?’ He asked, his request making you shiver in delight. 

You nod and you feel him adjust his angle a little, the change of position having a devastating effect. Your release knocked you for six, your ears rang and your sight went black for a second as he rode you through it before gis own peak followed quickly behind. 

‘Shit.’ He breathed, resting his forehead against yours ‘Looks like we’re gonna need to change the sheets.’ He chuckled, his statement making you look down and see your handy work. 

You laugh as he kissed you, pulling you up onto your feet so that he could strip the bed. 

‘I still take it as a compliment.’ He stated, noting your embarrassment before he grabbed some fresh sheets from the cupboard. 

~

You held the envelope in your hand, both staring at it for a long while and not knowing what to do with it. You had just come home from your 18-week scan. The doctor had been happy with everything. She had printed you the latest set of scan pictures and handed you this envelope, informing you that the sex of the baby was inside if the two of you wanted to know. It wasn’t something that either of you had discussed. You’d been so excited by the prospect of having a baby and watching it grow that you hadn’t thought about whether or not you wanted to know the sex. 

‘What do you want to do?’ Asked Marcus, his hand resting on your thigh. 

‘I don’t know.’ You replied, placing the envelope on the coffee table in front of you ‘Part of me wants it to be a surprise and part of me wants to be prepared.’ 

He nodded, silently agreeing with your statement to a degree. His eyes locked with yours and he knew you could read him like a book, unsure of what to say. 

‘You want to know don't you.’ 

‘No… Yes… Ugh the father in me wants it to be a surprise but the agent in me wants to know.’ He replied, groaning into his palms as he placed his hands over his face. 

‘Then we look.’ You said plainly. 

‘What?’ His eyes shot up in surprise, studying you carefully ‘Are you sure?’ 

‘I know you’re going to lose sleep over it.’ You start, grinning at him ‘And that means I’ll lose sleep and you know I’m a bitch when I’m tired.’ 

He laughed at your response, shrugging slightly as you handed him the envelope and his expression changed again then as the gravity of what this meant hit him. 

‘Go ahead.’ You stated as you motioned to the envelope, smiling at him sweetly. 

Reaching inside for the slip of paper he pulled it out and read it, his eyes growing wide when he read the word that he’d secretly hoped to see. You watched him carefully, his expression impossible to read and you soon found yourself shifting with impatience. 

‘Well?’ 

He looked up at you, a single tear escaping from his left eye.

‘We’re having a girl.’ 

You couldn't help the squeal that erupted from you, your hands instinctively covering your mouth as you looked at him with a mixture of shock and joy. 

‘We’re having a girl?’ He simply nodded, smiling as you grinned back at him ‘We’re having a girl.’ You squeaked as you practically vibrated with excitement. 

He pulled you into a kiss, tears flowing freely now as you held each other for a moment, one of your hands resting on your growing bump. 

‘Ow.’ You squeaked as you jumped back in surprise. 

‘What is it?’ Marcus’ asked, his tone panicked ‘Everything okay?’ 

‘Your daughter just kicked me.’ You said as you looked up at him with a smile, grabbing his hand and placing it on the swell of your stomach. 

Another kick had you both jumping in surprise and you couldn’t help but laugh and cry as you treasured this moment. 

‘Can’t believe we learned the sex and she kicked for the first time on the same day!’ You exclaimed, kissing him sweetly as the baby kicked again ‘What a day.’ 

The baby moved a handful more times, each one feeling wonderfully weird and you couldn’t help the swell of emotions that flooded you. 

‘Now now little one.’ Said Marcus as he lowered his lips to your bump ‘Settle down now. Mummy’s had an eventful day.’ He continued as he smiled up at you ‘Sleep now my angel.’ he finished as he placed a gentle kiss on your belly. 


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last Chapter! Thank you so much for the support! Hope you enjoy and I may do more with these two in the future.

‘What about Molly?’ You asked as the two of you walked hand in hand along the highstreet.

‘Oh no,’ Replied Marcus as he shook his head ‘I had a nasty breakup with a girl called Molly.’

‘Ugh, are we ever going to find a name?’ You grumbled as you scraped a hand over your tired face ‘We have like two weeks till the baby comes and we’ve not even agreed on one name!’

‘We’ll get there.’ Said Marcus softly as he threw his arm around your shoulders so he could pull you close 'We'll know it where we hear it.'

You’d taken the day to shop for the last few bits you needed for the baby. You’d been fortunate when throwing your baby shower that so many of the items you needed were gifted to you but you still required a crib and a few other essentials. You looked up at Marcus and smiled, giggling when he kissed the tip of your nose. You felt huge now. Your back ached and your feet were so swollen that you now lived in your Vans. You were looking forward to the arrival of this little one. Your attention was drawn to Marcus again when his body went rigid against yours. Looking up you saw a shocked expression plastered across his face and you followed his line of sight, your eyes settling on a dark-haired woman and a blonde man.

‘Agent Pike.’ Said the man as he grinned at the two of you ‘How lovely to see you!’

‘Jane.’ He replied, his tone a little irritated ‘Lisbon.’ He finished as he nodded at the woman.

‘And who is this radiant creature?’ Asked Jane as he studied you, focusing predominately on your swollen belly.

‘Jane, Lisbon this is my partner,’ He answered, telling them your name ‘I worked with them both back in Texas.’ He finished, his grip on your shoulder tightening a little.

‘Congratulations’ Said Lisbon as she pointed at your bump ‘When’s it due?’

‘Two weeks.’ You replied happily as you affectionately rubbed your belly.

‘Wow not long!’ She replied, her eyes growing wide as she looked at Marcus and then back at you ‘You both must be so excited.’

‘We are.’ He replied, his tone softening when he spoke to her.

‘Well, I’m so happy for you Marcus.’ She replied, giving him a warm smile.

‘Thanks, Teresa.’ He replied, feeling you stiffen next to him ‘What are you doing in DC?’ He asked, changing the subject.

‘We’re actually here for a small holiday.’ She replied as she looked up at Jane and smiled ‘We're going back tomorrow.’

‘Oh right.’ Replied Marcus, nodding with feigned interest.

‘We should all go out for dinner this evening!’ Said Jane suddenly, taking you both by surprise.

‘Oh I don’t know-‘

‘Come on Pike please.’ Said Jane in a tone that one could almost believe to be genuine ‘Would be lovely to get to know the woman who stole your heart.’

You both shared an awkward look before somewhat reluctantly agreeing. After exchanging the time and place that you were to meet them you went about your business, dreading the dinner later with the woman who’d broken Marcus’ heart. You’d managed to get the last few items you needed before making it back to the new apartment that you and Marcus had moved into a month back. You’d needed another room for the baby and after deciding that you didn’t want to live in your old apartment with all its negative memories, you found a new place and moved.

‘Why did we agree to this?’ You groaned as you rubbed your aching belly.

‘I have been asking myself that all afternoon.’ He replied as he placed a gentle kiss on your lips ‘We can cancel if you want?’

‘No, we can’t you.’ You replied, giving him a grim look ‘That would be rude.’

‘I swear you're more Canadian than you are American.’ He joked as he kissed your temple ‘You ready to go?’

You nodded, smiling at him as he gave your hand a gentle squeeze and let you out the door. The restaurant that Jane had picked was a mere five-minute walk from your apartment, much to your delight but you were taken aback by how fancy the place was. The server led you to the table where Lisbon and Jane were waiting for you, genuine smiles on their faces as you both sat down across from them. Lisbon was wearing a simple black dress that complimented her figure beautifully and a small part of you resented her for how good she looked. Jane wore a simple navy blue suit and a white button-up, the colours complimenting the colour of his eyes perfectly.

‘I’m so glad you both came.’ Said Lisbon as she got up to give you both a hug and you felt yourself relax a little from the friendly gesture.

The server returned a few minutes later to take your drinks order and you were over the moon to learn that they had an alcohol free Gin. You’d missed Gin. When he brought the drinks he then took your food selections and left, leaving an awkward silence in his wake.

‘So how did you two meet?’ Asked Lisbon with an awkwardness in her tone.

‘I moved into the apartment across the hall from her.’ The agent started, holding your hand under the table ‘She turned up at my door with a box full of cookies, I invited her in for a glass of wine and we got to talking.’

‘You were with someone at the time though weren’t you?’ Said Jane, his eyes studying your body language closely ‘Engaged I’d say. You met Marcus and left your fiancé for him.’

‘Actually, Marcus saved me from him.’ You answered abruptly, venom dripping from every word ‘He regularly beat me and raped me. One night after a particularly bad session from him I’d had enough and I left him. Marcus cleaned me up and took me to a friend's, after a few months of talking as friends I asked him out for drinks which ended in him getting stabbed by said ex.’

Jane’s jaw dropped open and you felt a small sense of accomplishment wash over you from being able to render the man speechless. Marcus gave your hand a squeeze as he placed a soft kiss on your temple but your eyes never left the blonde man.

‘How long have you been together?’ Asked Lisbon in an obvious attempt to change the subject after flashing Jane an angry look.

‘Um coming up to 11 months.’ You replied, your expression softening when you spoke to her.

‘Wow so the baby was-‘

‘A happy accident.’ Interrupted Pike as he placed his hand on your bump.

‘Birth control failed… Eight and a half months later and I’m a whale.’ You laughed, grinning at Pike as he looked at you lovingly.

‘Well, I really am so happy for you both.’ She stated, reaching over to squeeze your arm that rested on the table ‘He’s one of the kindest men I know. You seem perfect for each other.’

Your conversation was interrupted by your food arriving and you licked your lips at the sight of your food. You’d ordered the Mac and Cheese, having gone cheese mad over the past few weeks much to Marcus’ delight.

‘So do you know the sex?’ Asked Jane, his question surprising you.

‘Yeah, it’s a girl.’ You replied, reigning in your dislike for the man.

‘Oh, I bet Marcus was over the moon about that.’ Said Lisbon as she beamed at you both.

‘That he was.’ You chuckled as you shovelled a large mouthful of pasta into your mouth.

‘Picked a name?’ She asked as she pushed a tomato around her plate.

‘No.’ Marcus replied, scratching his chin as you let out a small sigh ‘We’re struggling to find a name with both like.’

‘Leia apparently is too sad.’ You joked, smirking when Lisbon snorted.

‘I think I have to agree with Pike on that one.’ She conceded, giving you a sympathetic grin ‘I’ve always liked the name, Isabella.’ Said Lisbon as she forked some chicken into her mouth.

Your breath hitched at the name, tears forming in your eyes as you tried not to show how much you loved it. Marcus gave you a look and you knew he’d read you like a book, so had Jane.

‘I think she likes that name, Teresa.’ He said as he nudged her with his elbow.

‘Then that’s what you should call her!’ She exclaimed, her face lighting up.

‘No, it's yours.’

‘Don’t be silly.’ She said as she waved her hand at you ‘It’s just one I like. I’ve never been one to have my kid's names planned out.’

You looked at Marcus let out a small sob. He chuckled at your reaction and gave you a small kiss before returning his attention to the couple across from them.

‘Who knew we’d go to dinner with my ex and she’d pick our daughters name for us.’ He joked as he took a swig from his beer.

The night went pretty smoothly after that. Jane had become more tolerable as the evening went on and you soon found yourselves talking as if you were old friends. You’d been over the moon when you had learned that they had sticky toffee pudding on the menu and after very little arm twisting from Marcus, he convinced you to pig out. Standing outside the restaurant you talked for a short while longer before learning that their hotel was on the same street as your apartment building. Walking together you couldn’t help but smile at how clear the sky was that evening, it was a rare treat indeed to be able to see any stars. Turning the corner that led to your apartment building you squinted when a car parked at the side of the road turned on his lights.

‘Well we’re just across the street,’ Said Marcus as he wrapped his arm around you ‘Thank you both for a lovely evening. Genuinely.’

‘It was lovely to see you again and lovely to meet you!’ Said Lisbon gleefully ‘You have my number. I want to see pictures of the baby when she comes! The least I get for helping you pick a name surely?’ She finished as she gave you a wink.

‘I’m sure we can do that.’ You replied as you poked your tongue out a little.

‘Well good night.’ Said Marcus, pulling you towards the crossing and pressing the button.

Crossing the street, you looked up at your love as he pulled you into a soft kiss, squealing with pure glee. Then everything went black. Marcus was roughly thrown across the street, his head hitting the tarmac hard and rendering him useless. He rolled his head to see you laying there unconscious, blood running down your face. He screamed your name but couldn’t move, the pain too much when he tried. Lisbon was at your side in a heartbeat, checking your pulse as Jane called an ambulance before running to Marcus’ aid.

‘Stay still Pike.’ He urged when the agent tried in vain to get up.

‘Is she- is…’ He sobbed, his eyes fixed on you.

‘She’s going to be fine but you need to stay still.’ He said, his tone firm as he held Pike's shoulders ‘You were hit by a car.’

The guttural scream that erupted from Marcus made Jane’s blood run cold. It was a sound that was filled with pain and despair and the consultant felt helpless, not knowing how to comfort him. The ambulance’s arrived a few minutes later along with two squad cars, Jane quickly firing off the registration of the vehicle to one of the officers. Marcus never took his eyes off of you, even when they strapped him to a full bodyboard and wheeled him to the ambulance. Patrick went with Marcus and Lisbon went with you, her heart in her throat as she watched them work on you.

‘Is the baby going to be okay?’ She asked, her hand firmly gripping yours.

‘They’ll do what they can to help them both.’ Was the reply she got and it brought her no comfort.

~

Jane and Lisbon sat patiently for news of you and Marcus, neither one able to believe the turn of events. She rested her head on Jane’s shoulder as she watched the tv in the corner.

‘He doesn't deserve this.’ She said numbly, her eyes fixed on the moving picture but not paying attention to what was going on.

‘No he doesn’t.’ Replied Jane as he kissed the top of her head.

‘Are you here for Marcus Pike?’ Came a voice, a young female doctor standing just across from them.

‘Yes.’ Lisbon replied, informing the doctor that they were there for you also.

‘Well he is out of surgery and he’s stable.’ She stated ‘He's suffered a severely broken leg which required some major work, a punctured lung and a concussion.’ She continued, giving them a grim look ‘He’s very lucky.’

Lisbon asked about you only to be told that you were still in surgery and that she had no news ‘A nurse will fetch you when Mr Pike is out of recovery.’

The both of them nodded, Jane feeling becoming awfully conscious that Pike would probably not want to see him. He decided then that he would wait in the waiting room whilst Teresa went to see the agent, not wanting to distress Marcus more than he already was. Teresa found Marcus surprisingly alert when she was taken to him, noting the anguish in his eyes as he stared numbly at the window across from his bed.

‘Hey.’ She said softly, stopping beside him ‘How are you feeling?’

‘Like I was hit by a car.’ He growled, his tone making her flinch.

‘I called in some favours with the bureau.’ She started, grabbing Marcus’ attention ‘The car belonged to a Stephen Robinson. Liam’s brother.’

‘That son of a bitch. If I ever get my hands on him I swear I’ll-‘

‘Hey, this isn’t going to help.’ She soothed, placing her hand on his and giving it a gentle squeeze ‘Let’s just focus on you, her and the baby okay.’

He nodded, knowing that she was right. Giving her a weak smile, he nodded in appreciation before glancing up at the door as someone entered.

‘Please tell me you have news.’ He pleaded, his voice cracking.

‘She’s out of surgery.’ He started, his expression impossible to read ‘She was lucky.’ He continued ‘She and the baby are both going to be fine.’

Marcus sobbed openly, thanking the doctor over and over.

‘We had to perform an emergency c-section as the baby was in distress but she’s healthy. No issues despite being 2 weeks early.’ He stated as he placed a friendly hand on the agent's arm.

‘When can I see them?’ He asked, his eyes hopeful.

‘I will get a nurse to take you.’ He said kindly ‘But you need to rest so not too long with her.’ He finished as he winked at the younger man 'You can see your partner in the morning when she's a little more rested. She's had a hell of a night.'

True to his word, a nurse was by a few minutes later and with the help of Lisbon, they managed to lower Marcus into the wheelchair she’d brought with her. Just as she was about to leave Marcus looked at Teresa.

‘Did you want to come?’ He asked, taking Lisbon by surprise.

‘Yeah, I would.’ She replied, flashing him a big grin.

They were taken into a room that was filled with strategically placed clear cots, most containing infants adorned with either pink or blue hats. When they came to a stop beside one that read, Baby Pike, his heart almost stopped. Tears forming again as he looked upon the face of his newborn daughter.

‘Would you like to hold her?’ Asked the nurse, smiling when Marcus nodded his head eagerly.

Carefully, she picked her up and lay her in his arms, giving him a few tips on how to hold her. He almost burst when she opened her eyes, staring straight back at him with what he could have sworn was recognition in her eyes. He just gazed at her for a while, grinning when her tiny hand grasped his finger.

‘She’s beautiful Marcus.’ Said Lisbon softly, her heart melting at the sight of him with his daughter in his arms.

'Yeah.' He said softly 'Just like her mother.'

‘Does she have a name yet?’ Asked the nurse as she stepped closer to the agent.

‘Isabella.’ He replied before placing a kiss on her forehead 'My little Isabella.'

‘Right we need to get you back or Dr Lane will have my head.’ Joked the nurse, leaning over to take Isabella from him.

‘I’ll see you soon baby girl.’ He said as he stroked her tiny cheek ‘I love you so much.’ He finished as he kissed her brow.

~

Marcus was allowed to see you in the morning, surprised to find you in better shape than he was. The cut on your head was a lot small than he had expected and was now framed with a black bruise. The doctor informed you both that you would likely be discharged on the same day, much to your shared relief. Lisbon and Jane had offered to stay behind to help but you’d both declined, instead Lydia had offered to come and stay a while whilst the two of you recovered. It had been a relief when you’d finally been allowed to go home, Joe from Marcus’ office picking the three of you up from the hospital with a mixed expression on his face.

‘Thanks for your help, Liddy.’ You said as she placed down a steaming cup of decaf coffee in front of you.

‘Hey, you guys have been through hell!.’ She replied, giving you both a sympathetic smile ‘Besides, I love baby cuddles.’

‘Well, it’s my turn right now.’ Joked Marcus as he held Isabella against his chest.

‘Baby hogger.’ She grumbled, a wicked smile crossing her lips.

‘Well, it’s not like I can do much else.’ He retorted, motioning to his leg cast ‘I cannot wait till this damn thing comes off. My left itches like crazy.’

‘I can’t wait to sneeze and not worry about peeing myself.’ You joked, everyone erupting into a fit of laughter which Marcus instantly regretted ‘I’m afraid you’re going to be pretty useless for a while though Hunny. They had to do a fair amount of work on your leg.’

‘And yet it’s my ribs that hurt the most.’ He grumbled, his cheek resting against the top of Isabella’s head.

‘They won’t take too long to heal.’ You replied, giving him a sympathetic smile ‘I really did get off pretty lucky. Lisbon said you flew.’

‘Felt like I did too!’

‘Well, I will be around for as long as you need me.’ Said Lydia, as she sat herself down in the decorative armchair opposite you ‘Perks of working remotely.’

‘God we’d be lost without you, Liddy.’

‘I know.’ She grinned, giving you a wink.

~

4 months later…

‘Oh, it feels good to walk on my own two feet again.’ Beamed Marcus, spreading his legs out across the couch.

‘I bet.’ You replied as you bounced Isabella on your hip.

She started to scream and your face grimaced at the sudden assault on your eardrums. Marcus was up in a jiffy, grabbing a bottle from the fridge and placing it in the warmer before taking his grouchy daughter from you.

‘Someone’s hungry.’ He cooed as he bounced her in his arms, her cries instantly stopping as she grinned at him.

‘I swear she hates me.’ You groaned, scrubbing a hand over your face.

‘She doesn't hate you.’ He replied as he kissed you sweetly ‘I’m just her favourite.’ He finished as he gave you a wicked grin.

The bottle warmer dinged to let both you know it was ready. Grabbing the bottle, Marcus brought it to his daughter's lips and giggled as her eyes widened as she sucked at the bottled eagerly.

‘Definitely hungry.’ He concluded, watching in awe as she drained the bottle dry.

You threw a cloth over his shoulder which he thanked you for and then proceeded to burp her, praising when she let out a teeny belch. Her eyes rolled around in their sockets as she fought off sleep, staring back at you with hooded eyes before Marcus shifted her in his arms.

‘Aw, my little milk dunk angel.’ He cooed as he looked at you with pure happiness plastered across his face.

Marcus was a natural father. He’d been so frustrated initially at how little he was able to do so as soon as he was able to stand for long periods of time, he was all over whatever he could. You adored watching him with her, the two of them thick as thieves and you knew that she was going to be a daddy’s girl when she was older.

‘God I want more.’ He said suddenly, taking you by surprise.

‘How many more?’ You asked, watching as he placed soft kisses on his daughters head.

‘As many as you’ll give me.’ He finished, his expression one of utter contentment.

‘Okay.’ You nod, grinning when he beamed back at you ‘But let me recover from this one first yeah?’ You finished as you kissed him softly, resting your head on his shoulder.

‘So another month yeah?’ He asks, giving you the goofiest grin you’d ever seen.


End file.
